Builder's tea

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title: "Builder's tea" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["blended-tea", "english-drinks", "tea-in-the-united-kingdom", "construction-in-the-united-kingdom", "irish-drinks"] description: "British colloquial term for strong tea" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Builder's_tea" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British colloquial term for strong tea ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Mug_of_Tea.JPG" caption="Builder's tea refers to a strong cup of tea."] ::

Builder's tea, also known as a builder's brew or gaffer's tea, is a British English colloquial term for a strong cup of black tea. It takes its name from the inexpensive tea commonly drunk by labourers taking a break. A builder's tea is typically brewed in a mug with the tea contained in a teabag (as opposed to loose leaves in a teapot), with milk added, either after the tea is stirred or after it is steeped. Builder's tea is also often sweetened with one or two teaspoons of white sugar.

Builder's tea is typically robust and has a rich, dark beige colour. The name was chosen because workers in the British building trade typically drink many cups of tea during their working day. The term has widespread use throughout both Great Britain and Ireland. Research from the Social Issues Research Centre found that people performing construction work found tea "both soothing and stimulating".

A 2013 article in the Daily Express reported that builders were drinking less tea than they had used to, preferring alternatives such as coffee (especially cappuccino and latte), as well as soft drinks and energy drinks.

References

References

1. Colman Andrews. (8 November 2016). "The British Table: A New Look at the Traditional Cooking of England, Scotland, and Wales". ABRAMS.
2. Souter, K.. (2013). "The Tea Cyclopedia: A Celebration of the World's Favorite Drink". [[Skyhorse Publishing]].
3. (23 June 2001). "Liquid assets: builder's tea". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
4. Miller, Norman. (17 March 2017). "Are you posh or a pleb? Cuppas, class and other British obsessions". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
5. (19 February 2011). "Minor British Institutions: Builders' tea". [[The Independent]].
6. John Ayto. (18 October 2012). "The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food and Drink". [[Oxford University Press]].
7. (7 August 2015). "Archaeology of Food: An Encyclopedia". Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
8. Self, Will. (6 June 2012). "Why I hate builder's tea".
9. "Two Great British Obsessions – Tea and DIY – First-Timers". Sirc.org (Social Issues Research Centre).
10. Sheldrick, Giles. (10 July 2013). "Builder's tea no longer preferred drink for construction workers". [[Daily Express]].

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